In Campaign of Twists, Sandy Provides Another

11/2/2012 12:57PM

In an excerpt from D.C. Bureau, WSJ reporters give their take on the final days of the campaign, including the latest unemployment numbers, the impact of Hurricane Sandy and what the latest polling from swing states is showing.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... I ... pretty obvious soul in this campaign is going to be about the economy ... in the future not that the and were down to economic numbers and unemployment number the King today which ... will strain the final weekend of leases pretty good for present a bomb ... threatening basically the Labor Department report says the economy is getting that ... it's far from good seven point nine percent unemployment is high today yet but and there's a ... three and a half million people that work for a full year or more and still say they're looking ... but critically in the tally they give each month of the number of jobs added ... hundred and seventy one thousand jobs added in October ... a rib eyes out the numbers for September ... and August ... so all in all it's clearly ... a plus for the president ... it doesn't it just makes it easier for him to ... make a convincing case that ... things are but I know but they're getting ... into that ... good as if I'd ever been to Nebraska for ten minutes ... but the number of other things ... right all but some of the upper end of its all important are the deserving of a seven point eight with ten minutes or so allows for those levers that the Kremlin to say all right now it's official data for the worse than when ... Obama ran for any new cuts the funny thing about the statements that the ... that both sides issue has ... become so quickly after the numbers to my ego they wrote them before they have no ego no right in relation to what the facts right and the whole thing really is that this point about whether reinforces or outcome predicts talking points ... because there aren't very many voters out there I think that would be affected by or reinforces or contradicts the set notions that voters are ready to write that that's on the same from the Obama campaign was in two weeks ago ... no data point is to change perceptions at this point not certainly true this ... this is not about its that that data point this is ... about trendlines and what people ... think that someone is up or down the spot ... well one thing is flat as wages so that people who are working ... are not really seeing an average much of the wage increase many of them are not keeping up with inflation ... I think the fact that the these berries calls of consumer confidence which we have long trends are ... have been turning up ... is also suggests that in the sun the consumer side ... which is strikingly because you don't see on the business I ... was on the consumer side there's a slight ... listing of optimism ... and you can see how that ... can do anything but help ... for Greece in the same thing in the polls all states of Ohio State of Wisconsin Iowa Blues income confidence inching up ... also it's not a big one but that also owns The particles economy things are getting better even when in the closet right track wrong track ... but if it is the economy getting better to deal with the texture ... will be better next year as it did when market ... he does I what if housing is maybe the key indicator that may have more resonance than it did the housing market seems affirmed up to the people at their house is worth a little bit more than they think they're worth a look at one of ... the missing factor for three ... years for years really ... right I do think that in the end what matters most is who can beat the economics of a national scale but the economic state by state and ... and that's where you know all on employment if they so much about the state by state on housing unemployment ... Ohio's been doing better than other states so as to him through ... I'm ... going along for the auto industry this is from that car sales are up they pay its workers that has to play the least of overall but is still in Iowa Mr. Atlanta highlight the and it is an argument about all of us who fought in a word and argue about ... this in ... the other Akio their October surprise me that the October surprise was of course super storm Cnooc adopts a very slow ... um ... you know I don't know what effect it had exactly although it probably also at the least leading up to finally come as a marginal net loss for the president for two reasons they ... you know he got Chris Christie became a big bear I can say this has been a great job which can hurt ... it's it may have slowed the Romney momentum a little bit I must or the carries through all of the election but I guess that's the best guess what ... yet it's hard to see this anyway you it's seen this storm helping Romney in terms of his campaign strategy it slowed him down ... because it made him more of more marginal figure for three days from ... prison Obama was out there you know ... being commander in chief ... and ... ALM that that ... you have not only the Chris Christie embrace you had Mayor Bloomberg of New York ... coming out endorsing him ... I mean all in all your things that were put on the table that were good for Obama how how good we don't know there were things on the table ... that were ... not so great for on that thing where there was really interesting because he talked so much about climate change ... which has been in this edition is give him ... and ... and it's hard not to think about climate change when you see those pictures of lower Manhattan underwater and over recently ... tell us both candidates for not doing it right away it was last time you heard the words global warming or climate change it was like any of the debate moderators colleagues asked the knowledge that ... in the end of this ended up one of our own election is notable ... and ... its suburbs Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs of difficulty turning up votes for Obama as core supporters ... in the bond is less than a foot of rain is going on this weekend instead of a ... film their house of sorts but ... there could be some depressed turnout in that area and an even for the better person in Jersey which is not really ... up for grabs but to be getting that makes it more likely than the one of these things were on when to let you know the ... names ... from the heart of the biggest all offices over what ... happened but um I think there's been another big numbers Democratic congressman or Connecticut New Jersey ... and a fall in the quarter by million votes are due to suppress the vote by that much and those with big blue states that happen but not ... now we are talking here about ... things that look marginally better for the president who is rich in the changes the fact ... that the Romney people knew the are confident the baby thing ... when they think momentum continues to move in a direction that people who have to decide at this point ... that they're gonna vote for Brock Obama has really decided that a vote against him to have admitted that yet ... and that there's going to be a big move ... him into the round up ... with this ... to start doing the bus attrition where both of these ... homeless or ... at ... least forty percent of all maybe even forty eight point five ... it's going to be in public but the bears the signs ... off on a promise that this could be less but that ... checks from various Romney don't like ... she was happening ... um and they really think that that is so that they are but if it is going to show that when when when the financial hole in what is the evidence that the CIA then in ... a legitimate reason doesn't do think the trendlines are going away and isn't the possibility of what the falling out of support among traditional working class support from Utah for Obama pixel it like Pennsylvania was the CIA they see Obama seal ... it in in in this is true that ... he's never really been able to crack above the forty seven forty eight percent level even in swing states that the speaking with some exceptions but that ... that represents not for for the president going into the final weekend but this the UPS Lucille Kinkade above that in there for everything it must be ... about to ... well except at the the the the Obama people look of the polls and they see something they see ... opportunity in the fact that ... they're so they're in their lead over Romney is bigger among registered voters and then when the pollsters ... try to pull out and just focus on the most likely voters his previous smaller ... and you know in the train there it that's that's when to get out the vote team goes to work and ... I tell the whole of all experience this year has given me a grade education and healthy skepticism on ... polling and we will find out pretty soon it was right where it is this this idea figure who wish to show up is ... that that we're pulling is an art science and he'll be carrying on from the Obama campaign is ... our polls ... everybody's holds up under camp ... likely Obama voters in the sense that ... you talk to young voters need someone to show off but the history says they are they do show up more than they they are here to be in the inflection point ... and you missing a lot of Hispanic votes ... and so therefore they're a lot of of ... of people who will be looking for Obama voters in the end for showing up as likely voters in Apple's ... tongs and that's it in and told readers that in there and sure ... in no way eighteen percent of all of all the voters were under thirty ... mins funneling of likely voters a six percent so far enough for a total loss ... it was time to roll out the old cliche the only poll that matters when that happens on Tuesday night ... exactly so what's the closing argument for each speech gotten this ... last week ... well you know what ... they're they're both trying I think they both will be trying to talk about the future and get a little bit away from the attack on each other that doesn't feel like closing argument ... and and ... what Romney has been saying and how we will continue to focus on is that we can afford ... four more years like the four years because ... an Obama has to convince people that ... you know we can simply won't do you know Obama is kind of ... talking about ... I mean to the extent that Obama is backward looking east despising we don't want it we can afford to return ... to the prop house ... basically we're not heard of ... but we've come a long way when and if you let Romney ... you'll get ... the all the seeds of the crisis because it's written in the first place ... by the way I noticed in his closing argument to say that CNN.com has ... been good to go play ... what will the president ... the GTXI bowling in America that's probably growing at this point in nineteen eighty four was on a morning in America ... I've seen him do that to ... make them feel that way right now it's still pretty dark and there are on the Romney people telling me last year so that you look back at the speech that he did Romney given options Anderson in part to cough ... up ... on his closing argument in and it's in anything the first thing you mention thank you speeches ... you know it from someone's for yet and they have been so meticulous about this until we talk about all that just gets in the summer and he did that that is that a lot several ... weeks where he became a sumptuous in the default is well during the firm but I'm the one to reach across the hall ... on the one of the change of tone in Washington first of all with the little bubble was four years ... it's been okay so final pressure final show before the election not to ask you to predict who's gonna win away to ... none of this knows that the worthless but what can be watching for on election night ... the key thing is that the weakness in traditional blue states and also ... offices recently weakness ... in the office of homage you ... know read this report on the doors of the Swiss franc from running as a sign that things are going to fall apart and Wisconsin all possible even in Pennsylvania that would be a game changer ... pulled off ... but the look and see what happens in Virginia New Hampshire because this are the east coast within a better sense for them and ... they're going big for Obama thinking ... that ends well for him if they're going for Romney ... well and it did it did as a gift those us with east coast of lines that a lot of the most of the states are the scares ... our politics is local another cliche of the week ... right now but yet they can use also be watching for the outcome in the Senate and House races and and ... those he sky Senate races are really can account for for a lot ... you know ... Virginia and Ohio Canal Kinetic it ... get Kinetic it ... um will be totally credentials and what ... is this just really you know if if the if ... it derided as an ... Ohio it's very hard to get from there ... and yet ... that the people know recently only if it's gonna be ... a decisive win for Obama in Ohio were to be so close will all be here three am ... this lowers ... what got all this I ... thought I'll be watching the idea that the population of players to increase the market ... but it's as they say it's better the election with that ... it's been fun to talk about it ... that's DC bureau for this week ... I don't forget to join the conversation on hashtag WS J live on Twitter ... and join us on Tuesday night ... O for our special live coverage of the election results ... The Wall Street Journal's Alan Murray will be in New York and I'll be in Washington three new interviews with top political lawmakers the strategists ... as well as some reports from WSJ correspondence ... and editors around the country ... and around the world ... our election night coverage starts at eight p m Eastern ... here on WS J live ... on Jerry Sithe ...